The Russian Investigation: We Have Lost Our Minds, Our Liberties, and Our Security

The Russian investigation is examining possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian officials. Specifically, accusing them of working with Russian agents during the 2016 election in order to influence its outcome.

As you can imagine, the political battle lines have been drawn. On one side, a vengeful left sees treasonous blood in the water and is grasping at anything to damage the president. While on the other side, a concerned right is countering with hearsay and hoping it just fades away.

As the investigation proceeds, the vindictive hatred for the President is bringing out the worst in us, reaching epic nonsensical proportions. Congressmen and the media are relentless, talking about criminal actions, conspiracies, and impeachment. It is producing a carnival-like atmosphere consuming everyone’s time and effort.

However, hidden in the middle of these seditious plots and circus-like actions are very concerning issues. Issues, that if not addressed, will shake the very foundation of our nation and its’ citizens.

The real tragedy here is the total disregard for civil liberties and our national security.

Where are our civil liberties?

The investigation appears to be searching for a crime. What I mean is that Congress and the Justice Department should not be investigating something unless there is a violation of a statute (or law). After almost a year into this probe, there has been no evidence of any law’s broken. As a matter of fact, there is still confusion as to what crimes under what federal laws exist for such a thing.

If there is no crime then how can there be any criminals?

As much as you may dislike a person or group, our constitution protects our civil liberties, such as freedom of action, assembly or speech. We are all safeguarded against “unwarranted or arbitrary interference by the government.” And in this case, unwarranted examination of Trump officials who have not committed a crime; especially, where no crime exists. Civil liberties also shield individuals against defamation or damage to their reputation because of erroneous or false accusations.

In short, our civil liberties defend us against witch hunts…and this has all the indications of one.

Here is a quote from an article by Alan Dershowitz’s(a prominent lawyer/scholar on United States constitutional and criminal law, and a leading defender of civil liberties; who, by the way, is not a Trump supporter). It sums up the civil liberties’ problem with the Russian investigation:

“Even if there were such direct links, that would not constitute a crime under the current federal law. Maybe it should, but prosecutors have no right to investigate matters that should be criminal but are not.”

National Security…is this not what it was all about?

So far, the investigation against Trump is at best hearsay, opinion, and conjecture supported by nothing but anonymous sources. Additionally, the dislike for our president has clouded the approach to truth seeking and justice as well as a far more important issue, our national security.

The point being, it appears the argument (or politicized feeding frenzy) boils down to exclusively criminal charges, almost dismissing the fact that the law they allegedly are breaking is about protecting national security. Our goal should be to determine if a foreign country (especially a declared enemy) hacked into our systems to influence the outcome of the election…and to ensure that this never happens again! Not to be sidetracked by a groundless hunt for “collusion.”

It almost appears as if this investigation is more about who is going to jail or impeachment than it is about protecting us against foreign “virtual” espionage. In other words, investigators see the trees (or criminals) instead of the forest (our national security). They are more obsessed with prosecuting the president and associates than they are on seeking justice and protecting our nation.

Why?

Even though we should be considering the security aspects of this case, the criminal narrative is driving the issue entirely off the security tracks. The reason being is that it is now personal…a witch hunt involving vendettas and revenge against a bullish and determined president. To the hunters, he and anyone associated with him are a detriment to our nation and must go at all cost.

It is almost an obsessive-compulsive cause in the sense that its’ intent is to find a smoking gun (no matter what) and impeach the President. And in its wake, the cost could be our civil liberties and national security.

A dangerously shallow and irresponsible path!

Liberties and security are not the only issues

I am not a conspiracist…and you shouldn’t be either. I worked in the federal government for 35 years and at some of the highest levels. Conspiracies are intriguing and can make you feel better about damaging an enemy’s reputation or agenda. However, every single conspiracy theory I heard or witnessed (and there were plenty…aka Area 51 and Aliens) was false.

Here is why.

First, the government is a mess. It is poorly run and organizationally dysfunctional. Second, for some reason, we routinely elect (and appoint) officials who have never run anything in their lives and possess very little organizational skills or experience. Taking ideas from “concept to action” is unfamiliar to many of them.

In other words, most government officials could not lead the boy scouts to the outhouse…how could they organize or run a conspiracy?

Lastly, and most importantly, conspiracies would require an exorbitant amount of time and effort, planning, organizing, communicating (secretly), and implementing. Most people are already consumed by their day jobs. What on earth makes us think they have time for anything else?

The Russian collusion case (Trump/Putin conspiracy) has all the signs of a “wishful” conspiracy. It has a despised president, unchecked jealousy toward a conservative resurgence, and a disenfranchised and angry liberal left.

So, instead of finding a conspiracy they [Trump foes] are creating one.

In Washington D.C. a conspiracy is as simple as connecting dissociated actions, generating conjecture, quoting unnamed sources and wrapping it all up into a collective narrative of collusion. Mix in the fact that it involves a declared enemy (Russia), and you now have enough evidence for an official investigation. It is that easy.

Remember, “we are all sheep to be led” so if upset enough, people will blindly follow their hatred. And, if you “say it enough times it becomes truth,” a well-communicated narrative becomes dangerously irrefutable.

Here’s where we are…an investigation into alleged crimes that don’t exist and a collusion conspiracy that would have taken the likes of Alexander the Great and Ganges Khan to organize and run. As much as I like Donald Trump, not even a wealthy self-made billionaire is capable of such a detailed foreign conspiracy.

“…”The smoke-justifies-the-investigation argument” is inconsistent with centuries of common law and the Fourth Amendment’s(unreasonable searches and seizures)requirement of “probable cause supported by oath or affirmation.”(promises of truthfulness)

In other words, vicious political motivations and an unrelenting media have poisoned the investigation, counting on gossip and hunches from unnamed sources to build a conspiracy and worse, convict.

A final point

The most interesting aspect of this Russian investigation is the fact that it is not new. It has been going on for almost a year with several organizations involved. For example, the FBI and five standing congressional committees and one subcommittee all have independent Russian collusion investigations going on at once.

I might add, eight months of these investigations were under President Obama’s administration. And four of them were before the election. One would think that Barrack Obama, who possesses a vile distaste for Donald Trump, would have brought all the powers of the federal government to bear against him. As a matter of fact, I believe he tried, and I would not doubt that his administration “wiretapped” Trump headquarters trying to find evidence.

Despite these efforts, NOTHING!

We are traveling down a deranged path that will ultimately hurt us more than help. We have lost our minds, and in the end, the cost will not only be our civil liberties but our national security.

Comments

Great take on the Russia issue and the big picture on how the media forms a narrative that , depending on what prism that they look through, makes people blindly believe what they are hearing. It’s the world we live in and out new generation love drama. I’m not sure where we go from here other than sharing this article that you wrote and making people read it! The news media are getting their advertising dollars to help them continue their message of conspiracy . How do we change that process? That is a huge question!

Update and again great article! The informed know the Mueller council is manufactured to detract from Clinton (other Dems) lengthy illicit ties to Russia. Should ONLY have been formed if proof of a crime was already committed (POTUS–none, Clintons/other Dems -irrefutable data). Support Florida Congressmen Ron DeSantis new bill to Defund Mueller, a special committee that never should have happened!

This is an unfortunate case of crony politics…wasting taxpayers time and money! Our politicians have lost their minds and reason why they are in congress. They serve only themselves…representing the people got lost a long time ago!

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